Jason Licht Gives Honest Thoughts on Baker Mayfield's Contract Comments

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is usually pretty good when it comes to keeping his guys around. He isn't perfect — see Mike Evans this offseason — but he's valued re-signings quite heavily during his tenure in Tampa Bay, and he has a big target this next offseason in Baker Mayfield.

Licht brought on Mayfield on a one-year deal in 2023, and some strong play turned that into a three-year deal worth $100 million in 2024. Mayfield has delivered on that contract, too, throwing over 40 touchdowns in 2024 and playing at an MVP level for the first half of 2025, and as a result, it's already time to think about extending him.

Mayfield is looking for a big-money contract, but he told reporters last week that he and the Bucs are not close to a deal and that he's given the team until training camp to negotiate a satisfactory one — if they don't, per Mayfield, he and his camp would wait until the end of the season, which comes with all kinds of risks.

Licht recently appeared on JP Peterson's podcast, and he was asked about Mayfield's comments as OTAs comes to an end and mandatory minicamp is on the way.

Jason Licht Speaks on Baker Mayfield's Contract Comments

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Licht said that he and Mayfield have had discussions, but that he really isn't worried about Mayfield's status as a Buccaneer for this season and beyond.

“We’ve had some discussions and we’ll continue to have some internal discussions and see, and try to bring this to closure one way or another,” Licht said, per FanstreamSports.com's JP Peterson. “But no one wants to see Baker go anywhere, and no one’s worried about how Baker’s mindset is going to be. I’ve had conversations with him about that. He’s all about wanting to win. So he’s in a good place... He’s free to say whatever he wants to say. And that’s the way he’s wired and I have nothing but love for Baker. I’ll keep all that stuff internal."

It makes sense that the two parties would like keep a good thing going. Mayfield has been playing what has arguably been his best ball since 2023 in Tampa Bay, and though he's a bit inconsistent, he's shown he can win football games with the Buccaneers and even has a playoff win under his belt.

Meanwhile, Licht should know that finding a decent quarterback in the NFL is tough, so locking up Mayfield will be a priority for him. He supposedly has until training camp to do that before talks are moved to the offseason, but it's hard to believe Mayfield wouldn't accept a good deal if it came in after that deadline.

The Bucs will hold mandatory minicamp next week before a long break, and after that, Mayfield's training camp deadline will hit at the end of July.

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